Angela’s Note: Helen Yoest has been gardening since a young child with her father as her mentor. Helen writes for garden and style magazines including stories for Better Homes and Garden,Nature’s Garden, Fine Gardening, Carolina Gardening, and many local magazines.
As the days grow shorter, we settle into a routine and feel the comfort of home. Much of the wildlife does the same; but for some wildlife, home is down south. Fall is a great time to create a wildlife habitat as these winged wonders look for food on their migration home.
Creating a wildlife habitat in your own backyard is simple to do and richly rewarding. Your wildlife garden can be a container garden, window box, a corner carved out in a traditional landscape, or an entire suburban lot.
Engaging children in this activity helps create the next generation of gardeners and naturalists.
Providing food, water, cover and places to raise their young is all that is needed to create a wildlife habitat. A walk through your property will reveal what you have already. You may be surprised how little more you need.
FOOD
To attract wildlife, provide the kinds of food wildlife need – either naturally or with supplements. The more variety of food sources provided the greater variety of wildlife you’ll attract. Various seeds, nuts, berries, fruits, nectar, sap, and pollen are all good food sources. The use of regionally native plants is also recommended, providing 10 to 50 times more food to the wildlife’s likings.
Food can also be supplemented with feeders to hold seed, suet, and nectar.
National Wildlife Federations Top 10 recommended native plants for the southeast:
- Black Tupelo (black gum), Nyssa sylvatica
- Willow Oak, Quercus phellos
- Sweetbay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana
- American Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. Canadensis
- Yaupon Holly, Ilex vomitoria
- Sweet Pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia
- Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata
- Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
- Climbing Aster, Ampelaster carolinianus
- Narrowleaf Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius
WATER
A clean, reliable water source is a key part to creating a wildlife habitat. Water is needed for drinking and bathing. Locating the water source within an easy view also makes it entertaining for the homeowner. Providing water can be as simple as adding a birdbath. Give multiple locations at varying heights to attract a variety of wildlife. It is important to provide water year round, even in the winter and, of course, during times of drought.
COVER
Wildlife needs cover for protection against the elements and predators. Having a place to escape the threat of pending danger attracts more to the garden. A variety of plant life ranging in size, height and density with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses, will increase your chances of attracting more kinds of wildlife.
PLACES TO RAISE YOUNG
The cover provided also gives your wildlife a safe place for reproduction and nurturing wildlife young. In a backyard, dense shrubbery or birdhouses provide safe areas for birds to nest. Different animals have different needs, including certain wildlife requiring water to raise their young such as salamanders, frogs, toads, and dragonflies.
Sustainable gardening practices will also benefit your wildlife habitat such as controlling non-native and invasive species, eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides, use of mulch and reducing lawn size.
Take comfort in an awarding fall; invite the wildlife.
Backyard Wildlife Habitat Certification
In 1973 the National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s leading conservation organization protecting wildlife and their habitats, began the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. This program provides a mechanism to certify backyard or community wildlife habitats.
For more information on the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program or to begin the easy to follow certification process, please contact www.nwf.org or 1-800-822-9919
1-800-822-9919.
The Backyard Wildlife Habitat program is a wonderful resource, whether you choose to certify your backyard or to use this information as a tool to make your garden more wildlife friendly.
Article By Helen Yoest of Gardening With Confidence ™
Gardening Coach and designer – BLOG
I just love this post, Helen. I think the list of possible plants you provided are lovely too. People can’t go wrong with many of the plants on that list as most of them are very low-maintenance and easy-to-grow plants!
First off I would like to say great blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your
mind prior to writing. I’ve had a hard time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out there. I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or tips? Thank you!